Thanks to Slightly Tookish for beta reading!

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The Cousin and His Playmate

"Sa!"

Saradoc had barely closed the door behind him when his little cousin clutched his ankle and leaned his chubby cheeks against his shin. His delighted blue eyes glittered in the sunlight streaming in through the small window.

"Hullo, scallywag," the tween said in a doleful voice, ruffling the child's ebony curls. His mother had obviously given permission for the little one to sleep in his bed again for his afternoon nap and had not yet realised that the child was awake already. Frodo could not have been up for long though, for his face was still wrinkled with the lines of sleep.

Without giving the child much thought Saradoc sat on his bed and read the letter in his hands for a third time this afternoon. It was from Whitwell, from Esmeralda Took herself. His heart beat fast just at the thought of the lovely hand that had written these lines to him, no matter how much they grieved him. If only he weren't the Master's heir. He would not have to be present at the Hall at Yule if not for that. Why couldn't Tooks and Brandybucks celebrate together, anyhow?

Saradoc flinched at the sound of something falling to the ground. Immediately the noise was followed by a fit of giggles and the tween rolled his eyes at the reason for this. His young cousin had crawled to the laundry bin and thrown it over.

"Oh, stop it, Frodo!" he moaned crossly.

"No," was the delighted answer. The child peeled his dirty clothes from his head sniffing at several of them until he finally concluded with a disgusted "Guh!"

Saradoc shook his head and sighed, his eyes again on Esmeralda's letter. It was only this past summer that he had discovered the beauty of old Adalgrim's youngest daughter and since the very day of their parting he had written letters and received hers in return. But he was sick of notes on parchment. Letters couldn't do Esme any justice.

"Up, Sa." Saradoc looked down to his feet where Frodo was now sitting, eyes pleading, lips pouting. "Up."

Saradoc reached for the little hands stretched out to him and lifted his young cousin onto the bed. Frodo's face immediately brightened up as he snuggled close to him, pointed to the letter and inquired, "This?"

"'Tis a letter of Esme's," Saradoc answered sadly stroking his fingers through his young cousin's curls. "She's the most beautiful lass in all the four Farthings. Her eyes are bluer than the river's clear water, her touch is as gentle as a summer's breeze, her laughter is clearer than birdsong, and," he sighed heavily, "she won't come at Yule."

"No," Frodo stated. To Saradoc it sounded as if the young one wanted to comfort him, telling him not to be gloomy. The child looked up at him hopefully while hugging him round the waist.

Saradoc smiled despite himself and tousled the mop of ebony curls. "You're a scallywag indeed."

Frodo grinned. "Sawa!" he repeated before announcing that he now wanted back down.

Saradoc did as he was told and the little Baggins immediately crawled towards the scattered laundry again throwing him a challenging glance. "Oh no, you don't!" Saradoc called out as he sank to the ground and swiftly crawled after the youngling. Frodo squealed delightedly and fled, his entire body shaking from the swiftness of his movements.

As the young one made his way across the carpet Saradoc caught him round the waist, pulled him into his arms, and tickled him. Suddenly the door opened and his aunt and mother appeared in the room with amusement and surprise showing on their faces. Saradoc let go of Frodo and looked up at them sheepishly, but Primula Baggins smiled. "It seems someone has found a new playmate."

~The End~